devices that we are accustomed to today.
None of this has been a sudden change. Yes, there are certain milestone events such as the release of Google Maps in 2005 but, looking back, it has been a gradual and steady evolution from niche professional services to a mass market. As a result, however, the way in which we interact with data has changed radically.
Twenty years ago interaction with data barely had the luxury of a graphical interface. At this time, before OS Land-Line™ was fully available it may have been necessary to digitise your base map from large-scale paper maps. Now, entire archives of historical maps are widely available in electronic format, digitised by organisations such as Landmark who, in collaboration with Ordnance Survey, scanned the entire national archives of historic maps. This was subsequently extended to historical building plans, town maps and even Russian KGB mapping of over 100 UK cities collected during the Cold War. As a result the UK is probably the best mapped country in the world, both historically and currently.
This plethora of mapping and data is now widely available through portals such as Promap, which in the 1990s started out as a Data CD delivery service. Now of course all this has moved online and Promap offers immediate and flexible access to over 70 data sets and map layers, including the highly detailed OS MasterMap™. Importantly, the portal also deals with all data licensing, which can be a tricky issue and is often overlooked by the casual user. Portals such as Promap deal directly with the supplier so users only have to agree to one set of licence terms even when purchasing data from multiple sources. This saves a lot of time and money.
Today there is also an increasing amount of data available for free. This is driven by a number of independent data collection initiatives such as OpenStreetMap and, more recently, also by central government. Thousands of datasets are now available for download at http://data.
gov.uk. Besides, central government has also opened up OS mapping and many other datasets to all public bodies via one central agreement, the so-called PSMA (Public Sector Mapping Agreement).
It should be noted however that, whatever the source, it takes skill, time and money to create good quality data. This remains the case also where data is free at the point of use – “free” in this context means that someone else has already paid for it. Google and Microsoft, for example, have paid significant sums of money for content that is free to use on their websites, such as street mapping or aerial imagery. It is therefore important to read their small print, as usually the data on offer is only for private use and cannot be used commercially. Indeed, Google have recently released a permission wizard on their website to
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provide guidelines on this. OpenStreetMap, on the other hand, is free to use and re-use but, because it has been collected by volunteers, you need to understand the pros and cons of this dataset before deciding on its suitability. Having said that, coverage is growing all the time and most of the UK and Western Europe is now mapped at mid-scale.
What is interesting to see is that, despite the availability of free data, commercial data suppliers are seeing increasing demand for professional, high-quality, paid-for mapping data. This is illustrated by the Geo Information Group who famously created UKMap™ in 2009. This is an integrated product suite including a highly detailed 1:1000 topographic map layer bundled with custom aerial imagery, points of interest, a terrain model and an addressing database. This offering is a direct competitor to OS MasterMap™ as it provides a credible alternative where there is coverage (currently all of Greater London within the M25). As we have seen significant uptake of this type of product by our customers, it goes to show that professionals understand, and are still willing to pay for, quality data where this makes sense.
As we move into the future, the ubiquity and accessibility of data will only accelerate. Driven by technological advances such as mobile cloud computing as well as legislative drivers behind data transparency and accessibility, we can all look forward to smart data ‘apps’. These will be available on your device of choice (desktop, tablet or mobile), wherever you are (in the field or in the office).
As a result you will also be able to take advantage of custom workflows specifically tailored to your needs. We are already seeing early examples of this, e.g. through the introduction of Envirocheck Analysis, an easy-to- use map tool that allows environmental professionals to easily overlay and analyse historical and environmental mapping during their Phase 1 desktop study. In terms of data quality and accessibility, environmental professionals have a lot to look forward to. All you have to do is make sure you take advantage of it and are not left behind.
Image: UKMap 3D city view
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